Right on schedule, the usual discourse that spreads through social media and industry circles during New York Fashion Week has reared its head. The conversations are largely based on the standing question, "Is NYFW dead?" One could argue back and forth surrounding the current direction of the fashion capital, but the looks below were enough to convince me that this fashion week is alive and well. (After all, Beyoncé made an appearance.) Established names like Thom Browne and Marc Jacobs took us into worlds that surpassed imaginable levels of stylistic storytelling—they conveyed feelings within the fabrics. Tory Burch and Altuzarra celebrated anniversaries all while continuing to innovate after both having monumental seasons in September. (The question filling our group chats and coffee breaks was "Will they be able to top the last?")
Proenza Schouler and Sandy Liang, arguably the quintessential "cool-girl" labels of the week (with noticeably different aesthetics), offered more reasons to take notes from New York. Schouler taught lessons in inventive layering, while Liang took a mature step up from the usual bows and Mary Janes with additions of tweed suit sets and cashmere sweaters. You can always count on emerging talent to give you something to believe in, and this season, all eyes were on Zankov and Diotima for their attention to detail with knitwear and crochet, respectively.
As for the trends to know, similarities among the collections ranged from corporate-coded attire to dramatic furry coats that will only fuel the fire of the controversial mob wife aesthetic. Keep scrolling to see the themes and soon-to-be highly coveted items of the season that prove that no, New York Fashion Week is not dead.
The Trends
Many of the items most associated with corporate settings—suit sets, briefcase bags, and tailored blazers—were spotted on the runways, a continuation of what we saw at Prada and Saint Laurent last season.
You may have gotten tired of seeing mob wife on your timeline, but "bigger and better" was the theme for the outerwear designed by Gabriela Hearst, Khaite, and LaQuan Smith.
Pencil skirts are included in the corporate-inspired trend, but the variety offered made the item deserve its own callout. No longer are pencil skirts the stuffy or boring wardrobe piece reserved for the office, as proven by Tory Burch's turquoise leather option and Brandon Maxwell's sporty pick.
When one thinks of sweatpants or sweatshirts, one might think in fashion terms, that's "giving up." Well, the designers are now here to say that you can indeed make the cozy items reserved for loungewear chic enough to go out in. Just pair them with ballet flats à la Sandy Liang or structured blazers as seen at Coach.
Fashion people are usually drawn to either silver or gold, but this season has the latter on top. Take notes from Jason Wu and Proenza Schouler, and include the iridescent hue into your next night out.
The "It Items"
On TikTok, everyone seems to be creating charm necklaces or adding personalized charms to their handbags—and Coach's handbag styling signals that the trend isn't going anywhere. For Coach, it's New York or nowhere, as each charm paid tribute to the city, from "I Love NY" mugs to shiny red apples.
After Beyoncé showed up to Luar's runway show in Brooklyn wearing one of the brand's bags, the style quickly sold out online. Luckily for you, the F/W runway featured new iterations of the supersize Ana bag in gorgeous colorways like oxblood and caramel. Start saving now!
There was a lot to admire at Altuzarra's intimate show, from the jodhpur-inspired knit pants to the clown-like ruffled collars. But the item that had most people talking was the modern pillbox hat, making for the perfect finishing touch on every look.
There were actual mini gasps heard around the room when the models at Sandy Liang came down the runway with little bowler bags in hand. While a majority of the collection consisted of pieces that had a more pared-back approach (think cashmere sweaters and suit sets), Liang stayed true to her love of girlhood with bows atop of the leather bags.
Proenza Schouler always takes mark on what's deemed "cool" in New York, and aside from the innovative layering, the capes were next of discussion. The muted knits were pinned over the models shoulders, paired with coordinating dresses worn as skirts. The soft capes brought an easy and relaxed tone to the collection while staying true to designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez's vision we all know and love.
No one has been able to stop talking about Tory Burch's shoes, as proven by the pierced flats and heels that are continuously selling out. This time, Burch is looking to reinvent the bags as well, with a tote version of the Lee Radziwill bag.
